Saturday, September 17, 2011

Super ‘70s and ‘80s: “Superman: The Movie”—Jeff East (Clark Kent as a teenager)

Introduction to series “Super ‘70s and ‘80s.”

Introduction to subseries “Superman: The Movie” (including list of interviewees).

How did you get cast in Superman: The Movie?

I was cast by Richard Donner in April 1977 at Lynn Stallmaster’s office in Los Angeles. Richard had seen me star in a film called The Hazing and he had me come in and cast me on the spot.

Courtesy of CapedWonder

What was the first movie you were in?


Tom Sawyer (1973) with Johnny Whitaker and Jody Foster. I was Huck Finn.

Before filming STM, what did you want to do for a living? Did you change your mind after filming it?

I have been an actor since I was 14.

What do you remember about filming your scenes?

I was uncomfortable with the wig and nose piece at first, but eventually got used to it. It was fun to travel to London to shoot and Canada as well.

Where were your scenes shot?

London and Calgary.

If it was an actual location, not a set, have you been back there since?

I have not been back.

Do you know how many days your shoot was?

I was on the film from April through October 1977.

What was your impression of Christopher Reeve?

Chris Reeve and I got along okay. I would say it was a professional respect for each other but he was a little uneasy having another person playing him at a young age.

Any funny, scary, or just odd stories from the set? Did you hang out with the other actors at night/when not shooting?

Lana Lang and I had a fling.

Did you pay much attention to Superman before you worked on the movie?

Not really.

Did you like him after?

Yes, very much. I was always a fan of the TV series with George Reeves.

Did you see the other movies?

I have seen the other films and I think STM is still the best-made.

Lots of actors who’ve done superhero movies or shows go on to do voice-overs in superhero cartoons. Have you, or would you?

I have done some voice-overs. In 1983, I did the singing voice for Meatball in [the cartoon] Meatballs and Spaghetti for CBS.

Did you ever correspond with anyone else from the cast of STM at any point?

I am still good friends with Marc McClure and Jack O’Halloran and Sara Douglas and Valerie Perrine.

Did you ever meet Christopher Reeve?

Chris and I spent a lot of time together on the film so I could get to know his personal traits.

Were there ever any cast reunions?

There was a 30-year reunion Warner Bros. held for the DVD distribution.

When/who else has interviewed you on STM? Were you ever interviewed on TV?

Merv Griffin.

Have any strangers ever recognized you as the young Clark from STM?

Yes.

Do you have children? If so, have they seen you in STM? What do they think?

I have two children, Alexander and Madison. They both love the film and their friends get a kick out of it.

Did you see Superman Returns? Did you watch Smallville? If yes to either, what do you think?

I did not like Superman Returns and I have watched Smallville. It’s a good show. John Schneider is a friend.

Do you ever still act? If not, do you want to?

I am still acting and I am producing as well. I am currently producing a remake of the film Macon Country Line.

Would you be open to attending a comics convention as a guest to meet fans?

I have done [a couple of comic conventions] and yes, I would be interested in doing more.

Next:
Bo Rucker (pimp/fashion consultant).

3 comments:

The Hoffbeast said...

Solid read, loved his honesty.

Marc, out of curiosity, did you two discuss the fact that Christopher Reeve over drubbed all of Jeff's lines? I've always wanted to know if that was planned from the get-go or not. If not, I wouldn't blame Jeff for being disappointed by that. Still a really good performance regardless.

Marc Tyler Nobleman said...

Hi Hoffbeast - thanks! I thought he'd mentioned the dubbing but if it wasn't in my interview, than I might be remembering another interview he gave (maybe at Caped Wonder)?

Xum Yukinori said...

Marc, you should check out episode 30 of Kurt Mattila's Big Pull podcast (starting at minute 19). You may want to do a follow-up interview.

http://podbay.fm/show/542989585/e/1370044801?autostart=1